(INTELLIHUB) — A rescue worker assigned to the World Trade Center’s South Tower’s rubble pile after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, said that he found a burnt firefighter’s skull which turned to “powder and dust” when he attempted to retrieve it.

“We found a helmet that’s got a blue Rescue 3 front piece, so we know it’s one of our guys, and there’s the remains of a skull next to it but it’s just blackened and charred. […] I went to pick it up and put it into a box and bring it down with us and it just turned to powder and dust in my hands,” the worker said.